at part of the
world, which so few Europeans have visited.

What is the cause of all this bustle and war I hardly know myself, and,
at all events, it is too long to make the subject of a letter; I must
therefore refer you to the papers for it; but I have heard from old
officers that for the last twenty years the Company have been anxious to
establish themselves west and north of the Indus. It is not likely,
therefore, now that they have such an opportunity, that they will let it
slip, so that perhaps we may be quartered there for the next two or
three years. How it will turn out I know no more than the man in the
moon: a soldier is a mere machine, and is moved by his superiors just as
a chessman by a chess-player. Should there be any skrimmaging, our men
are in high spirits, and will, I think, soon make the Ameers put their
pipes in their pockets. Ours is the first European army that has been on
the Indus since the time of Alexander.

I was obliged to sell my horses and other things on leaving Belgaum, at
a dead loss. I intend buying another horse when we land in Sinde, as I
am told we can get good ones very cheap there. This is a regular case of
here to-day and there to-morrow: perhaps my next letter may be dated
from Cashmere--who knows? I felt rather sorry at leaving Belgaum; we
were all of us excessively rejoiced to get out of Bombay. The report at
first was, that we were to garrison it for the next two or three years,
and we were therefore very glad when we found that was not to be the
case. Now, it is said, there is a chance of our going into Persia; but I
do not think that we shall. The man waits to lay the cloth on the cuddy
table, where I am writing, so I must conclude for the present.

_Nov. 28th_.--The regiment is beginning to disembark right in front. The
Grenadiers are now going into the boats of the natives that are to take
them up the river. Since I wrote yesterday, I have heard all the news
relative to our disembarkation. We are to go fifteen miles up the river
in native boats to a place called Vicur, where we form our first camp
ground. We are to remain there for a week or ten days, in order to
collect camels, bullocks, &c., for the transportation of our baggage. We
have to pass a very dangerous bar in getting to this place, where
several boats have been wrecked; but we have fine large ones. From all
accounts, the Ameers are now peaceably disposed, except one fellow, who,
we hear, is inclined to be ra